Postcard Chef

Avid Traveler | Restaurant Consultant | Lover of Life
I've been fortunate enough to travel the world and create food in the process. Every place I go, the special kids in my life get a postcard of my experiences. Welcome to some of those postcards.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

I had a wonderful day today. I have to admit; my day was not
set up for success. I barely slept last night. Three hours after I finally
dozed, my alarm nagged me awake. Some would say awake is a relative term if you
saw me this morning. Needless to say, I was dragging.

Several things I needed to prepare for – it was supposed to
be busy plus we had a rehearsal dinner for 35 this evening at the restaurant.
We really wanted that to be perfect. It would all be followed by a four-hour
drive home to my love. Long day on little sleep is far from setting myself up
for success.

Remember those drinks that I told you about yesterday? Well,
I started creating today with The Botanist Gin. I felt inspired. I didn’t want
to share it with you until I had the recipe down perfectly with great pictures
ready to go. What can I say? I am a perfectionist. Instead, I think I will
share with you my process. I haven’t decided on the perfect drink, yet. I have
some favorites, but it really isn’t about me. Instead, I thought I would let
you choose which one I should keep working on.

A little background:

This drink is for a group of 40 beverage executives who
would like to see their product used in our interpretation. The event will be
smackdab in ‘Pumpkin Spice Everything’ season… so I want to capitalize on fall
flavors but want to avoid pumpkin like the plague. Also, we are in the Florida
Keys and there are certainly some distinct flavors here.

The Gin:

The Botanist really lends to its name. It capitalizes on the
trend of using local ingredients and staying authentic to the region. Hence why
I want to go that route in the flavors. It also has a very complex set of
aromas. This limited run gin is made with 31 botanicals, 22 of which come from
where it is made: Islay, Scotland.

At first I thought an infusion might be good, then I sipped
it and realized that would be a waste of a wonderfully complex spirit. So then
I thought, I will make one that is traditional and play around with two other
versions.

The 1st drink:

We all know that classic drinks are making a comeback. Enter
the Manhattan’s and Old Fashioned’s of the world. So I thought simply of a
basil gimlet.

The Botanist Gin

Basil

Key Lime Juice

Simple Syrup

The 2nd drink:

Now I am going to some fall like flavors. I thought this
drink could be a little sweet with some aromatics.

The Botanist Gin

Apricot Jam

Key Lime Juice

Angostura Bitters

The 3rd drink:

I looked around the restaurant and stumbled upon some
currant jam. I though this could really be the wild card. Since I was using
jam, I also wanted to add some spice to it. I am still not sure what that will
be.

The Botanist Gin

Currant Jam

Florida Grapefruit Juice, maybe

Spice or Herb (maybe some all spice or even fried sage)

What do you think? Is there one in particular that you would
want to try? Don’t be put off by the jam, I melt it down a little so that it
mixes very well with the gin and other ingredients. I would love to hear your
thoughts.

I know you are curious about the rehearsal dinner: it was a
success. Just before the group arrived, I was graced with a beautiful sunset.
While working at the bar earlier in the day, I may have made a new friend. I
look forward to grabbing lunch with her. I much enjoyed her input as we worked
together on the basil gimlet. My drive home was wonderful and full of great
conversation. And now, I am home and all the love a home can have awaits…

None of this has been perfect. There were struggles today, moments I could have napped standing, many drinks to try and some terrible versions, 3 plates that fell for that rehearsal dinner. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful day.

So for now, Love Strangers. You never know if they might
become a lifelong friend.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

I believe that I mentioned mentors yesterday, and
that really made me keep thinking about a few individuals that I could
certainly learn from.

Here is the thing... I LOVE learning. I think it is
an essential part of our existence and the meaning of life. Why do I always get
philosophical?

Now, in the past there have been a few that have
really been put off by my quest for knowledge. I am, at times, still a 3-year-old.
I ask a million questions. I want to learn how, why, when, where things work
and who most affects the outcome. It is a big part of the reason I love
hospitality. There are so many inner workings that can make the service go well
or go terribly. Every day is a completely different day. Today, for example, I
planned for busy chaos. Sometimes, when you plan, it all comes together
beautifully. We were busy, but far from chaotic. After a visit from Remy
Martin, I am now preparing to create 2 new cocktails. One using The Botanist
Gin and the other using Mount Gay Black Barrel. I can't wait to show you what I
come up with. As a reward I got this beautiful sunset.

I have had 3 wonderful mentors in my life. These
three men really made a difference in how I see the world. Among many things I
learned from these gentlemen: one taught me to look for the unintended
consequence, one taught me to take charge of my own development, and the other
taught me to have confidence in myself. These gentlemen could have turned me
away and told me to stop bothering them after the 50th question. Instead, they
had patience and saw that I would stop at nothing to try to be perfect. But
where have the female mentors been?

Sometimes, I wonder if we are harder on each other
as women. A question for later. So, who would I like to learn from. There are
two in particular that come to mind. Please, don't judge me.

First, Bethenny Frankel. Why? She has taken an
industry that locked the gates, dropped the brick wall, added a moat, and
lifted the steel bridge to keep women from entering the upper echelons: the
beverage industry. She was turned away, shut down, and demeaned for her idea of
pre-bottled cocktails. She did it herself anyway. There came Jim Beam, one of
the biggest players in America, knocking on the door with its tail between its
proverbial legs finally looking to get in on the action.

Second, Ellen DeGeneres. No - I don't aspire to be
a comedian or to host a slew of award shows. Although giving voice to a cartoon
would be cool. It is because she defied all social norms. It was hard enough to
be a woman in comedy, but to be a woman that isn't wearing heals and makeup...
I can only imagine. To be brave enough to come out of the closet, knowing full
well she would probably lose everything she had built, takes true courage. The
kind of courage I hope I have if the time comes. I will add to that her
ambitious desire for everyone to ‘be kind to one another’. I can’t imagine a
better role model for my nieces and nephews.

I think my questions for them would be the same.... although I am not
certain I could handle them both in the same room, too much funny within 4
walls. I would certainly also have to tie my hands and tape my mouth and have
the questions written on cards so that I don't speak to excess and ask 80
questions.

What is the most profound lesson you have learned in business that
you feel keeps your business thriving?

If you recall to the early years in business, what is one thing you
would do differently?

But, let’s be honest, I would probably just ask them if I can be in the
room as they work so I can learn firsthand.

For now, I choose to enjoy lessons from those around me. Like the cook
today who, after the rush, said he was bored. My reply, “I’m hungry. Do you
want to create something?” His reply:

Baked Potato stuffed with cheddar, homemade cheese sauce, bacon, onion straws, green onions and sour cream. No, I never said it was healthy.

Today, I hope you all do what Leon did with his boredom. Create. I also hope
you show some hospitality and Love Strangers.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Today I am thinking a lot about keeping time, completing
pertinent tasks, making strides in business, and making sure to enjoy life.
Time – that ever elusive, quantifiable, maddening factor that some would argue
actually doesn’t exist. Always a philosophical question to get my brain going.

This morning I started my routine as usual: I awoke,
meditated, set my intentions, spent some time thinking about how I would
theoretically manage my time and projects, and set on with my day. I am driving
to the Florida Keys and had a deadline by which I needed to be there. The
difference with flying and driving:control or the perception of control. When driving, if I am late it is
essentially my fault. I easily could have left at 10am as opposed to my actual
departure time of 2pm. With a flight, the pilot, maintenance crew, flight
schedules have more control on that day than I do.

Well, I just pulled out my laptop while in the care because
traffic is on a complete standstill. A semi-trailer has jack-knifed, stalling
all of us on this two lane highway. I hope the driver is safe and heathy, as
well as anyone involved. I send positive thoughts to my fellow travelers – that
we all just take this moment to look at the beautiful sky, take a nap, converse
with each other, or become productive in our work. Obviously, I am choosing the
latter.

Semi has taken over the road... But that sky!!!

I am grateful for the wonderful way in which I am learning
this lesson about productivity. I mean, I could have chosen to soak up some vitamin
D and sunbathe, or taken a nap. As I lineup the businesses I am starting, I
realize there are at least 4-5 projects on which I need to work on continually
to make them all work. I could choose to focus on one per month, but then they
won’t gain momentum. Some of the tasks for them are simply that, and some are a
creative process on which I can easily go down a fun rabbit hole, on my way
towards Wonderland. It is easy to get caught up in Wonderland and forget about
necessary Taskland. Today, my strategy is to complete 2 items from Taskland,
followed by 1 in Wonderland. My hope is that will keep me looking forward to
the adventure while also completing the mundane.

Since I am in my car, I don’t have a magical stove and oven
to pull out and start cooking something for all the travelers who are enjoying
this hiatus with me. It would be a wonderful way to create. Which is taking me
into creative space of recipes that I could make – homemade sausages, pickled
veggies, different ketchups and mustards. I think I just created a hot dog
concept, in theory… See, rabbit hole. Maybe I should start packing such
equipment, I am sure these travelers would enjoy a food break.

Sure, that's a lot of people NOT moving, but it sure is a GORGEOUS day!

The biggest lesson learned, embrace the diversions and the
moments that pop up to work and create.